What it’s about: Stella Lane, a mathematician who has Asperger’s, knows everything about numbers but very little about love -- so she hires escort Michael Phan to school her in the mechanics of romance.

Narration: Carly Robins' unique voices for the characters make for engaged -- and engaging -- storytelling.

There There by Tommy Orange; narrated by Darrell Dennis, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Alma Cuervo, and Kyla Garcia

What it is: a debut by a Native American author; vignettes in the lives of 12 different characters as they prepare for the upcoming Big Oakland Powwow in Oakland, California.

Narration: the intertwining stories are well-served by an ensemble cast, anchored by emotional performances from Alma Cuervo and Kyla Garcia as sisters Jacquie and Opal Red Feather.

What it's about: In this engaging essay collection,comedian and Parks and Recreation actress Retta ruminates on everything from her Liberian immigrant parents and abandoned med school aspirations to her addictive personality and eclectic hobbies.

Narration: Retta's effusive warmth and self-deprecating sense of humor make this tell-all feel like a conversation with an old friend.

What it's about: On May 31, 1889, the poorly engineered South Fork Dam -- built for a lake resort frequented by wealthy guests (including Andrew Carnegie) -- burst after a heavy rainfall, engulfing Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 20 million tons of water. The disaster killed over two thousand people and remains the deadliest flood in U.S. history.

What it's about: On a Tahitian honeymoon they can ill afford, Erin and Mark find the ruins of a plane -- and a canvas bag full of diamonds and cash. Smuggling it back into England, they face increasingly lethal consequences for their rash decision.

What it's about: Eric and Andrew are enjoying a well-earned vacation with their seven-year-old daughter, Wen, until a quartet of weapon-wielding strangers appears, warning that the apocalypse is imminent...unless one of the family members sacrifices another.